Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from producer Raymond Rapada. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren MANASSAS, Virginia — Even by the standards of recent speeches, President JOE BIDEN’s address at George Mason University was a remarkable demonstration of the discontent that currently exists for him among some young and liberal voters. There to lay out the need for the restoration of abortion rights on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the president was interrupted at least 14 times as advance staffers and law enforcement officers scrambled around the auditorium to usher the protesters out. Biden supporters attempted to drown them out. Energy Secretary JENNIFER GRANHOLM energetically cheered and clapped over them. But the effort was futile with chants of “genocide Joe” colliding with calls of “four more years.” “They feel deeply,” Biden said. “This is going to go on for a while. They’ve got this planned.” From the campaign’s vantage point, protests are a normal part of a functioning democracy — and something incumbents have had to deal with in past election cycles. And as one Biden campaign official noted, the event carried on and supporters far outnumbered the dozen protesters. But disruptions like this still grab headlines. And the reality is that a well-planned presidential speech on an issue the White House feels is central to Biden’s reelection was overtaken by a handful of people focused on an entirely different subject altogether. The protesters made clear their discontent with Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Every few minutes, someone interrupted with “ceasefire now or no vote” or another chant. One person held a homemade “stop genocide” banner. As the disruptions continued, Biden barreled through his speech. Those who had come to support Biden, in turn, made clear their disappointment with this vocal faction of the party. Even before the rally, several told West Wing Playbook that they feared younger and more progressive wings of the Democratic coalition didn’t appreciate the stakes of the election. With the Republican Party on the cusp of handing the presidential nomination to DONALD TRUMP, they argued that everyone needed to be clear eyed about the stakes. “If you can’t get behind the word ‘Biden,’ then get behind the word ‘democracy,’” said ANNA EPSTEIN, a Biden supporter from nearby Annandale. And not all the students were disappointed in Biden’s handling of the war. JASON JONES, a 21-year-old GMU student, said the U.S. has to support Israel but there were more important issues on the line. “The number one issue of why you need to vote for Biden is authoritarianism and denying elections,” he said. SUE SMITH, 67, lamented about the “naiveté” among a certain slice of the Biden coalition. Not voting for Biden over the conflict in the Middle East was nonsensical, she argued. “It’s not our war. It’s their war,” she said. There was also an acknowledgement among Biden supporters outside the rally that the campaign needs to more aggressively sell the president’s accomplishments. Smith, an active member of the Mount Vernon Democratic Party, argued that younger voters should be informed about how Biden’s policies will benefit them. “There’s a gap in the message, and attacking Trump isn’t going to cover it,” she said. Epstein summarized the voters’ sentiments most succinctly. The problem Biden faced was not the stuff he’d accomplished, she argued, but that he’d gone about it too “quietly.” But that was little solace for Biden on Tuesday. He shared the stage with Vice President KAMALA HARRIS — with “RESTORE ROE” displayed behind them in bold, white letters — and laid out the case that Trump was responsible for restricting critical health care access for women. But his big speech was veered off course, and he knew it. “I’m sorry it’s taking so long,” Biden said between protester number six and seven. MESSAGE US — Are you ELSIE STECKER, White House sign language interpreter? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
| 
